Learning the English language to perfection is the goal of most students. However, as many students find out learning the English language is complex. Students quickly learn that saying simple sentences in English is easy, but learning sentences that are complex enough to fully express themselves with the correct grammar, can be hard. This series will help students overcome this English language challenge. I am going to show you how to better express yourself in the English language by taking simple sentences and extending them. As always I will do this with an immersive approach. Don’t worry about the grammar, just follow along with me. This article assumes that you are comfortable using the verb to be (that’s “he is, she is, we are, they are” in all three tenses, present, past and future). If you are not,then please watch my video on the verb to be here.

English Language Made Simple: Let’s start easy, with the verb to be

Before we begin, I want to remind you of one important thing. If we use the verb to be, we must use -ing. That means that whenever we use the verb to be, the verb will end in – ing. For example. I am playing. I was playing. I will be playing. He is running. He was running. He will be running. Ing…always with the verb to be.

Now let’s begin.

We are going to start with simple sentences and extend them, thus allowing you to express yourself better in the English language. We’re going to extend these sentences by asking the questions what? When? Where?

Our simple sentence is

I am cooking

Now let’s add to it. What are you cooking?

I am cooking dinner.

What are you cooking for dinner?

I am cooking pasta for dinner.

Quick English Language Lesson

Let’s explore the English language in this sentence a little bit. I said that I’m cooking dinner earlier. Now I said I’m cooking pasta for dinner.

Why is it I am cooking pasta for dinner and not I am cooking dinner pasta?

Don’t worry about the grammatical reasons. Let’s practice.

I am + verb+ noun for noun

I am cooking pasta for dinner.

Cooking is our verb and pasta and dinner are our nouns. Let’s try it with another sentence. Remember, we always do something for a noun

Bonus: What do you want for lunch? What did you eat for dinner? What should we have for breakfast?

Now let’s get back to our English language sentences.

I am cooking pasta for dinner.

When are you cooking?

I am cooking pasta for dinner tonight. Or Tonight I am cooking pasta for dinner.

Quick English Language Lesson

Tonight is a time phrase, so is tomorrow, days of the week, months, years, times of day, right now, in an hour…all time phrases. Time phrases can either go at the beginning of a sentence or at the end of a sentence. When you take two small sentences and put them together you can put the time phrase at the beginning or end of either small sentence. For example I am walking right now and I am happy. We’ll go over this more later.

I am cooking pasta for dinner tonight.

I could have also said I am cooking pasta for dinner right now or I am cooking pasta for dinner next week.

Where are you cooking?

I am cooking pasta for dinner tonight in my kitchen. Or I am cooking pasta for dinner tonight at my friend’s house.

That’s the easiest way to make a simple sentence longer in the English language. We went from I am cooking, to I am cooking pasta for dinner tonight in my kitchen. Now let’s add some detail to our sentence to make it even better.

I am cooking pasta for dinner tonight in my kitchen.

Look at the nouns in the sentence…pasta, dinner, and kitchen. We will describe each noun.

What kind of pasta are you cooking? Delicious pasta? Yummy pasta? Boring pasta?

What kind of dinner are you cooking? A healthy dinner? An easy dinner? A simple dinner?

What kind of kitchen are you cooking in? A messy kitchen? A new kitchen? A friend’s kitchen?

Now let’s add some details. Our nouns are game (football describes the type of game in this sentence so it’s not a noun) and friends.

Was it an energetic game? Was it a beginner’s game? Was is a competitive game?

What kind of friends were these? Were they her new friends? Her best friends? Her oldest friends?

She was playing an energetic football game all day with her new friends.

English Language Made Simple: Future Tense

Before we get started, I want to give you a quick English language lesson about using the verb to be in future tense.

Quick English Language Lesson: When you are making a sentence in future tense using the verb to be, remember you have to use the word “be”….will be. I will be cooking, he will be playing, she will be leaving, they will be driving, we will be flying.

If you use will and not will be you do not use -ing. I will cook. He will play. She will leave. They will drive. We will fly.

You can say it either way. Both are fine. One is not better than the other.

Now let’s get started.

Our simple sentence is

We will be tired.

Why will we be tired?

We will be tired from walking.

Where will we walk?

We will be tired from walking in the park.

When will we walk in the part? Add a time phrase, remember it has to be in the future.

We will be tired from walking in the park tomorrow.

Now let’s add some details. Our noun is park

Will the park be beautiful? Will the park be crowded?

We will be tired from walking in the crowded park tomorrow.

Let’s finish things up with one more English Language Lesson

Quick English Language Lesson: You may notice that I said we are tired from walking.

Tired is a feeling and when you use a feeling many times you can use the word from after it. I am tired from walking. I am confused from today’s class. I am angry from the argument.

You can also use because with feelings.

I am happy because you’re my friend. I am hungry because I haven’t eaten.